Junior
by Larania Drake
Summary: Yaoi, Y/Koenma. Koenma is NOT wearing a maternity dress! He's not! No! Kurama gets jealous! Hiei and Kuwabara come out of the closet! And the biggest shocker- YUUSUKE THINKS!
1. Default Chapter

Junior

****

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

A/N: This story takes place after the first couple of chapters of Change of Pace, my YYH fusion with Ranma. On the names- Zoutou means 'gift' and Ketsui means 'determination'. I thought them appropriate.

_Prologue_:

            _The tiny barn was out on the very fringes of the shogun's property, nearly abandoned and forgotten, but a perfect spot for youngsters to escape for a tryst on a warm night. _

_            Laughter and hoarse breathing were all that was heard from the small shed as two boys explored each other, kissing, shedding clothing, gentle jibes and terms of endearment occasionally being spoken. Then the breathing became deeper, moaning, as their bodies joined. So caught up in each other they didn't hear the gathering mob, didn't notice someone enter, as they both screamed their pleasure. Then it was too late._

_            "Zoutou!" Ketsui whispered in horror, not believing as he watched them take his delicate lover and started to beat him, using flails and clubs, making his pale flesh bleed and break. He was their lord's son! What were they doing?_

_            He couldn't think straight- someone had hit him over the head and nothing would hold still. Then a new, harsher cry went up and his focus was back on the boy he loved, as he was stripped and the men of the village began to… to-_

_            "NO! ZOUTOU!" Ketsui roared, getting to his feet, throwing off his captors with a demon's strength to try to free his lover. He almost made it- until he was cut down by one of the men of his regiment._

_            Betrayal filled his eyes with horror as he fell, raining blood over the grass as his guts spilled out in front of him, and Zoutou reached out to him with a cry that would echo in his ears for eternity. He knew that his Zoutou's own father had let them do this…_

_            Then blackness._

_            If only it had been that quick for Zoutou._

_            The beatings had gone on, it seemed, for hours. Bones shattered, organs crushed and the act of love he'd made with Ketsui perverted into humiliation. All the young lord could do was cry. _

            Then they'd left, and Zoutou crawled to his lover's body, in agony, clutching his cold body, shivering as he bled out, too exhausted and hurt to mourn his own death. In fact he welcomed it- he would see Ketsui then.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Koenma, junior lord of the Reikai, Paper Shuffler of the Dead and general pain in Yuusuke Urameshi's ass, sucked on his pacifier as he mindlessly reviewed forms, stamped papers, and tried to fix the mess his father, Enma Daioh, liked to heap into his lap. The elder Enma tended to leave his job to his son, saying he was attending to more important matters, but Koenma had learned those more important matters tended to take place in very pleasant parts of the Ningenkai. 

            Maybe it was for the best. While his father was far more powerful than he was, he wielded it like a bludgeon, accepting death and destruction that would make demons blanch as 'acceptable losses'. Not only was this a horrible increase in paperwork- it was just plain cruel. Koenma knew that he was hard on his subordinates, but it spared continents from sinking. While Atlantis was before his time, well, there was no way he was going to let it happen again.

            Then his eyes fell on the date on his latest batch of forms- and the pacifier plunked from his mouth as his jaw dropped. The toddler-formed god that ran the afterlife stared for a long time, golden eyes blank. 

            "Koenma-sama?" George finally asked, bringing up a new stack of forms. There was no answer, and he waved a hand in front of the tiny god's face to see if he was okay. Nothing happened. 

            He tried poking the small god. Again, there was no response.

            "Koenma-sama?"

            Something seemed to snap inside his head, and with a sudden transformation, the young god was in his teenage form and charging out the door.

            "Screw this," he yelled, the gates slamming behind them- leaving everyone in a state of shock.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            _"Where am I?" the newly dead spirit asked, looking around as he floated over his body. He couldn't remember much except for pain and sorrow, and cold, horrible cold…_

_            "You're on your way to the Reikai!" chirped a nearby voice- that would have made the boy whirl around and yelp had he still been in a body to do that in. Zoutou stared at the chipper young woman with blue hair in a very pink kimono, sitting on a wooden oar appeared beside him._

_            "The land of the dead? I'm dead?" A sudden, desperate hope lit the young man's golden eyes like suns. "Where's Ketsui? Is he here? Can I see him?"_

_            Her lovely magenta eyes saddened. "I'm afraid not- he was taken to the Reikai before you, and since your case is so much different than his, I think you'll not be seeing each other again."_

_            "WHY?" Zoutou screamed, starting to sob at the unfairness of what had happened. He just wanted Ketsui…_

_            Pink clad arms wrapped around him, soothing him like a mother as he cried his eyes out. _

_            "Maybe you can take it up with your father?" she suggested gently. _

_            "My father," Zoutou said bitterly, "is the one that let us get killed."_

_            "No- your father is Enma Daioh, Lord of the Reikai."_

~*~*~*~*~*~

            It was a warm afternoon. Perfect for napping out under a tree. 

            This was the most complex thought going through the head of Yuusuke Urameshi, Reikai Tentai. He had just finished his lunch, leaving his bento out, hands behind his head, eyes closed, and soaked in the warm sun. It was Golden Week, meaning four days out of school, and Yuusuke was living it up- and enjoying some time alone.

            No missions-

            "YUUSUKE!" wailed a familiar voice-

            Or not.

            "What is it now, Botan?" Yuusuke whined, not opening his eyes, annoyed at having his afternoon interrupted. "Evil artifacts of spiritual toilet paper? Demonic chickens trying to hold the Ningenkai for ransom?"

            "Koenma walked out on the job and disappeared!"

            "WHAT?" Yuusuke's jaw promptly tried to smack the dirt. Of all the things he'd expected- this was NOT one of them. "You mean Diaper Man just up and left?"

            "Uh huh!" Botan said, wringing her hands in worry, pacing. "I haven't seen him like this in ages! He's usually so responsible about his work! I'm so worried!"

            Yuusuke watched her keep pacing, ever so often flapping her hands, utterly baffled. "What do you need me for? I don't know how to find him."

            Botan kept right on pacing. "PLEASE help me find him Yuusuke! His father will do much worse to him than a spanking if he finds out about this!"

            "He'll send him to his room?" 

            "NO! He'll kill you and the other Reikai Tentai because you mean so much to Koenma!"

            "WHAT THE FUCK?" Yuusuke screamed, getting to his feet and running off. Yuusuke did NOT want to die again.

            "Dammit, Koenma- what kind of trouble are you getting me into now?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

            _//"Who the hell are you?" Ketsui growled, as the slighter boy watched him and his friends play tag in an unused field. _

_            Zoutou didn't answer, eyes widening as he tried to climb up higher into the tree he'd been watching them in._

_            "Hey, you gonna answer me girly?" sneered Ketsui, who had gone up to the bottom of the tree to smirk at the almost sickly looking child._

_            This comment earned him a frown. "I am NOT a girl you, you, fat head!"_

_            "Oh yeah? Then come down here and prove it!"_

_            "I don't have to fight you!" Zoutou said, getting nervous. He had always lost fights with his big brothers and this boy looked strong. _

_            "Yeah you do! Come down here!"_

_            Zoutou gulped- there was no other way out of the tree- and he went down, shimmying carefully. The skinny boy looked at the burlier one, trying to muster his courage, gulping._

_            "Who are you?" Ketsui asked, arms crossed like he'd seen the soldiers do._

_            "I- I'm Zou."_

_            "All right Zou… Tag, you're it!"_

_            "HEY!"_

_            The chase was on- and so was their friendship.//_

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Yuusuke was really loath to leave the park- the cheery trees were in full bloom and it was absolutely gorgeous that afternoon. When he got hold of the little god, he was SO gonna rag on his diapered rear end…

            Charging off around the lake in the middle of the park, Yuusuke growled to himself, because he couldn't sense the godling. Plus, there was this really annoying crying coming from nearby…

            The crowds were lightening up, and he had caught occasional glimpses of Hiei, Kuwabara and Kurama as they also searched around. Considering how frustrated they looked, their luck was the same as his. Meaning nil. 

            Dammit- why wouldn't that crying stop? He couldn't think with all that wailing!

            Whipping around, Yuusuke charged off, trying to find the source of the noise, but it seemed to both run from him and get closer the more he looked. Finally, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, turned around-

            And there, sitting on a large boulder, head on his knees, just out of sight, was the object of his search. Judging by the number of empty sake bottles at the base… He'd been there for some time.

            "What the hell? Koenma?"

            The crying paused.

            "Leave me alone," came the soft, hiccupping reply, slurred and cut off from the godling gulping more of the contents of his latest bottle. 

            "No way- not when Botan has everyone out looking for you and she said that your dad is likely to kill us because YOU slacked off on the job!"

            Silence was his answer, before drunken laughter mixed with dry sobs bubbled up. Yuusuke looked at the stinking demi-god like he'd lost his mind. Maybe he had. He'd never seen Koenma act like this, even when he was angry.

            "He, he wouldn'. Might spank ya, but he wouldn't kill ya. He knows I'd stop working completely if he hurt ya…"

            "KOENMA-SAMA!" yelled a voice, as Botan suddenly materialized, causing the Prince of the Afterlife to look up at her- and both she and Yuusuke gasped, reeling back from the tapestry of bruises and cuts that adorned the usually beautiful teenage face.

            "What the FUCK-"

            "Koenma-sama, your face-"

            "What's the date, Botan?"

            "Huh?" exclaimed Botan and Yuusuke at the same time, confused as all hell- then Botan paled. 

            "Oh."

            "What's the date got to do with anything? Why do you look like someone dragged you from the back of his car? Why did you leave in the first place and why are you getting drunk? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" interrupted Yuusuke, screaming and nearly pulling his hair out.

            Botan grabbed Yuusuke's arm to pull him away, her large eyes welling up with tears. She whispered softly into his ear. "It's the anniversary of Koenma and I meeting for the first time."

            "Great way to celebrate," the dark haired boy said, looking up at the beaten face and the blood seeping through the god's cloths. There were no holes, nothing to indicate he had gotten into a fight. This was just too damned weird.

            A soft sigh echoed like a breeze, and Koenma's clouded eyes fixed on Yuusuke. "What Botan means is that it's been exactly seven hundred years since she took me from the Ningenkai to the Reikai. In other words, since I died."

            Botan refused to look at either boy. "When a person dies, and they have a great deal of emotional trauma, their spirits reflect that. On the anniversary of his death, Koenma-sama's wounds reopen. Neither I, nor even Enma-sama, have ever been able to stop it…" The ferry girl sniffled. With a sudden wail, she hopped on her oar and flew off, not looking back and disappearing. Yuusuke was left staring at where she had been- then at the pain in the ass godling.

            Then horror hit him. His own death had been relatively quick- he'd been shocked to discover himself dead. The Reikai Tentai had been injured often enough to recognize what had to have happened to cause some of those wounds- and that meant Koenma had not had a quick or easy passing. Then he blinked- because it hit him that Koenma had died at all.

            "I thought you were a god?"

            Koenma nodded, eyeing his bottle because it was empty and he was out of them. "I'm half god, like you're part demon. Dad apparently had a weakness for married women at that point in time."

            This left Yuusuke crossing his eyes in confusion. What was Koenma saying?

            "I thought I was human until I got killed and Dad decided to finally acknowledge his mistake and gave me a job in the Reikai…"

            Yuusuke blinked, realizing that Koenma wasn't nearly as drunk as he looked- the red-rimmed eyes had come from tears. 

            "You look like shit man."

            Koenma laughed hollowly. "No kidding?"

            "I," Yuusuke swallowed. This really sucked. He knew what it was like to be an unwanted child. "I'm sorry Koenma."

            "Zoutou."

            "Excuse me?"

            "My _name,_" the slender teenage appearing god growled fiercely," is _Zoutou._"

            Yuusuke just blinked.

            "My father renamed me when I got to the Reikai. He didn't think the name I was born with would command enough respect. So I was called Koenma."

            Understanding dawned, and walked over to the boulder that Koe- that Zoutou was perched on. "Can you walk?"

            "I'm not going back," Zoutou answered petulantly. "I'm playing hooky."

            "Well, you're doing it wrong. If you're going to play hooky, screw up the Afterlife and generally make everyone else miserable, you should do it right."

            This time it was Zoutou's turn to blink, and Yuusuke dragged him off the boulder, then caught him as the slighter boy started to tremble in pain. Yuusuke's eyes nearly bugged out with blood soaked his hand just from touching his shirt.

            "Damn," he whispered- and picked Zoutou up as he passed out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            "Is that Yuusuke?" asked a particularly elegant redhead reincarnated kitsune. The two other searchers, namely Hiei and Kuwabara, looked over in surprise. 

            "I think so," Kuwabara muttered. "It feels like him."

            Hiei disappeared, flitting over to get a good look at the dark haired teen. The person he was carrying smelled of cheap sake, pain and blood, but it was old blood, even though the red on him was fresh. Raising an eyebrow, he grimaced before Yuusuke could get a look at him.

            The koorime didn't say anything, but Yuusuke smiled at him like his teeth hurt. 

            "Yeah, its Koenma. I won't take him back to the Reikai yet. I think he needs to either sleep off all the shit he drank or just… I think he needs some time off. I'll take him to my place. If anyone looks for him, don't tell where he is, okay? Unless its an emergency."

            Hiei stayed silent, nodding faintly, frowning.

            "Do… do you know anything about spiritual wounds?" Yuusuke asked softly, rearranging his grip on the Prince. Hiei blinked.

            "Usually they only affect the newly dead, and only those that died very horrible deaths, or saw loved ones die in front of them. Humans that badly wounded tend to stay ghosts, refusing to move on to be judged or reincarnated. They usually end up sticking around people like Kuwabara because they have business they need to finish."

            Yuusuke shuddered, wondering what it would be like to have to live seven hundred years without finishing something, something so bad that it made you bleed like Koe- like Zoutou was.

            "I'll talk to you later when I've got him cleaned up, okay?"  Yuusuke muttered, sighing and turning away. Koenma, no, Zoutou was crying even in his sleep, his lips forming words he couldn't hear.

            It was just as well that Yuusuke had left when he did… because there was a sudden cloudburst and-

            "Nyao…"

To be continued.

            __


	2. II

Junior II

  
  


Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

  
  


"Hey- Ko- uh, Zoutou?" 

Koenma Daioh, son of Enma Daioh, but known before his first death as Zoutou woke up to a voice repeatedly trying to get him to wake up. Flinching at the bright light of the room he was in, the Prince looked around, and tried to scowl at his detective.

"What's wrong, Yuusuke?"

Yuusuke raised an eyebrow. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember-" Koenma muttered, then clutched his head and whimpered at the pain lacing his body when he moved. "Yuusuke, the point of the drinking was to NOT remember?"

"Uh, right," Yuusuke rolled his eyes. Playing nursemaid to an emotionally wrecked demi-god was not his thing. "So, um, do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I don't," Zoutou muttered, wanting to get away. However, the phantom pain of his soul's wounds screamed when he tried to get up. Having gone through this literally seven hundred times before, all he could do was wait it out. And remember- oh gods, he would remember… The familiar tears welled up before he could stop them. 

"Want more to drink?" the Reikai Tentai tried to come up with SOMETHING he could do- watching anyone just cry like that was horrible. He had brought Zoutou back to his mom's apartment and put him into his room, propping him up with pillows until he could wake Zoutou up. 

"Yes," was the terse reply. The pain was making the young god look like an old man, and Yuusuke ran to get his mother's stash.

This left Zoutou staring after him, shuddering to breath at the remembered pain of shattered ribs and punctured lungs. Yet no matter how badly his body hurt, his heart cried out for Ketsui.

"Ketsui…"

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


// "You want me to work for you?" Zoutou blinked, gazing up at the massive form of Enma Daioh. 

His answer was a giant rumble. 

Needless to say, Zoutou's first meeting with his true father was not going well. He'd been immediately told that he would work for the Reikai in Administration. Granted, Zoutou had learned a great deal about managing from his stepfather and brothers, but this?

Screwing up his courage, he faced the giant. "What do I get out of it?"

There was a deep thunderclap at that, but Zoutou stood his ground. He'd just lost everything that mattered to him, his love and his life. What did he have to fear now?

"If you do not work for me," Enma Daioh stated with the weight of the ages, "I will send this human to Space, never to be reincarnated or find peace." Gesturing, Ketsui appeared, and Zoutou gasped, reaching for him.

"If you do," and here the Judge of the Afterlife paused. "If you do, he will be sent back to life. He will live out his life without memory of you, be judged and reincarnated according to his actions."

"I've got no real choice, huh?" Zoutou said under his breath. "I'll do it."

Enma waved his hand, and Ketsui disappeared, and Zoutou felt part of his spirit die again. 

"Then lets get to work, Koenma."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Yuusuke wondered why he had stopped when he'd heard Koenma whisper that name, but shook his head, bringing back in the bottle and some aspirin. He didn't know if the stuff would help, but it was better than nothing, right?

Golden eyes fixed on him, and Yuusuke stopped again, wondering why he felt like there was something he was missing here. The sight of him looking so pathetic just wasn't right. Waving the bottle in front of him, Zoutou grabbed it greedily and started to gulp, nearly snatching off Yuusuke's hand.

"Watch it!"

He didn't get an answer, just loud gulping, then a loud cough. "What is this stuff?"

"Whiskey. Most people sip it," Yuusuke said, bemused. 

"Oh," Koenma mumbled, then dropped his head back into the pillows. "I'm sorry you had to see this Yuusuke… I just couldn't stay in the office…" The tears were very close to the surface, but being suppressed. Barely.

"Think you could take a bath?" Yuusuke asked awkwardly. "I mean, you are really a mess right now and… baths help you relax?"

Golden eyes looked at his face with the barest bit of human, barely open due to being blackened and bruised. However… the wounds weren't quite as bad as he had thought. He thought.

"I don't think I can get up," Yuusuke's patient whined, and the dark haired delinquent rolled his eyes, and, more gently than he would have admitted, pulled him to his feet.

"What the hell happened to you, man?" Yuusuke asked again, sighing. 

"Could you quit asking?"

"Not really. I'm the one whose gonna get his ass smacked by your dad for sticking my neck out. Not like you'd do the same-"

Yuusuke would have expected more tears, or silence, or an angry protest. What he did not expect was to be pushed into a wall, golden eyes blazing bright with rage, giving the godling momentary strength.

"I did all I could for him! He tried to save me but I was able to give him another life! I protected him! I did my father's stupid job for him when he threatened him! What else do you want from me? I was never a fighter, never strong enough! I do what I have to! Dad would sink the damned island of Japan if he thought it was necessary!" 

Trembling, bloody hands fisted in Yuusuke's shirt, pinning him to a wall, and the demi-demon could only blink stupidly. Who was 'he', what had Koenma done for him and he didn't realize Enma was THAT big an asshole...

"What happened to you?" Yuusuke said for the third time, this time wrapping his arms around the shaking god. Koenma nearly collapsed against him, and mumbled something.

"What?"

"Yuusuke... You think I'm pathetic already. Don't make it worse."

This did not make the Reikai Tentai happy to hear. "You get hurt like this once a year, and have been crying all day. I doubt there is much you could to make my opinion of you lower."

Zoutou sighed at the left-handed reassurance. "Nice to know I've hit bottom." They started on their way to the bathroom again. 

"Cough it up, short stuff."

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Zoutou had needed help, getting his clothing off and scrubbing off the blood before sinking into the hot water. Under normal circumstances, this would be no problem... However, the way Yuusuke was staring at him, his wounds, he felt a sudden bout of surprising shyness.

No one had stared at him like that since, well, Ketsui.

Yuusuke's staring had nothing to do with lust or perversion- he was shocked. The clothing, once it was off Koenma, had returned to its former state of cleanness, the blood disappearing like it had never been. He'd seen those wounds before... Yuusuke bit his lip.

"You were beaten, and- and-"

Zoutou froze, before continuing to sink into the hot water, breathing raggedly. Dragging the word out, he whispered what Yuusuke wouldn't say. "Raped."

"That wasn't the worst part," Zoutou sighed, as if in a dream. "It was seeing him killed in front of me, knowing that the man I had called father wanted to get rid of his mistake and killed Ketsui for no reason at all."

Yuusuke didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow. The name, Ketsui, seemed familiar but damned if he knew why. 

"They found us... and beat me while making him watch, then got down to 'punishing' me by what we had done together... Then he got so mad he fought them off, even though I think he had a concussion. Then he was cut open... Then his guts just sort of spilled out... I couldn't get to him in time. Then they fi- finished with me." He stuttered the last, shuddering. He tossed water over his face, and Yuusuke saw the wounds change- they became a worse for a moment, then faded. He blinked.

"Wait a minute-" as it occurred to him. "Who is was this Ketsui guy?"

"He was my lover," Koenma sighed softly, sinking even further into the hot water.

This left the Spirit Detective gaping. Wearing a child form often as he did, Yuusuke had never, could never, possibly, it was impossible, he just never thought that... You just don't think of a toddler being gay.

Of course that toddler was over seven hundred years older than he was and had plainly been through hell at some point. His whole life, he'd been taught it was something to be reviled... not in so many words, of course. It was a Bad Thing. Disgusting, unnatural... 

Yeah, and those people who claimed to be better had done THIS to a guy who couldn't fight back. Someone who had been... Yuusuke frowned. He was confused again. A vague image in the back of his mind tried to surface but there wasn't enough of it to really compute. 

"I'm," he swallowed. "I'm sorry Zoutou."

"Thank you, Yuusuke," Zoutou answered, and his face stopped stinging so much. The aches along his backside, his ribs and lungs, lessened. The emotional turmoil... was eased...

"I think you're right about talking helping... I don't feel like I'm going to die now," Zoutou spoke in amazement. Then he tried to get out of the tub. 

Yuusuke was treated to a new way to swear. Seven hundred years of practice will give a person a large vocabulary and a great imagination. He was fairly sure Zoutou didn't repeat himself.

"I guess you ARE feeling better," muttered the teen. Grabbing a towel and getting rather wet himself, he helped Koenma out of the tub and they staggered to his room, for some fresh clothes.

"What was Ketsui like?" 

Koenma was trying to struggle into a t-shirt and boxers of Yuusuke's, he turned to him and smiled- something that made the wounds fade a little more.

"I met him when I was about five..."

The tale that Zoutou spun was one of nostalgia, polished with love and age, but with enough quirks for Yuusuke to believe that Zoutou had seen this guy without hero worship. It was a story of two children, best friends... and one day, when asking what it was like to kiss a girl, tried kissing each other. Then they had promptly freaked out- left, and nearly stopped their friendship. That was, until they kissed again, and did more than kissing...

Yuusuke chuckled softly. Koenma was a pretty good storyteller, and he felt like he was starting to drift off. Of course, the fact that they had started trading back and forth the whiskey bottle might have had something to do with it.

The stories got a little more lurid the more they drank- but Yuusuke noticed how much healing seemed to take place as Zoutou spoke. 

"He was a pretty good father, too," Zoutou slurred out. "I'm glad he was sent back to life..."

"Huh? You never mentioned that," Yuusuke tried to say, didn't quite come out right though.

"Yeah... I got a deal with Dad that if I worked for him Ketsui would get to live. Catch was, he would forget about me," the telltale sniffles were back. "I just wish... I could have told him I loved him, said goodbye..."

"Damn, man... you control most of the Afterlife, couldn't you have found his soul?"

"No... Dad messed up the paperwork. I have no idea who he is now. Probably a good thing though," Zoutou hiccuped. "He'd probably be ashamed to see me like this."

"I think... if he loved you like you loved him... He'd wanna... uh... find you? Is that the end of the bottle?"

"End of the third bottle."

"Oooohhh... I think he'd like to see how you were doin' though, Zou-chan. I mean, after all that... You helped him keep living. You did that for me and that was nice..." Yuusuke rambled for a bit, trying to get his thoughts together, but his only answer was a faint snore.

"Hmm, Zou, you could never hold yer liquor," Yuusuke slurred, then stretched- and fell over asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Yuusuke's mother had apparently decided to spend the night with someone, or was so drunk she couldn't make it home. Whatever had happened, she wasn't there, and nothing had interrupted the quiet as the two drunk boys slept off their drinking.

This left Zoutou wondering why he had awakened. It was pitch black, silent as death, and pleasantly warm. The only smells were whiskey, Yuusuke, and himself.

Then the gentle sensation stole over his face again, and blinking, Zoutou caught the hand that was stroking his cheek.

"Who's there?" he called hoarsely. The hand in his was rough, oddly familiar in strength and size. 

"I missed you, Zou," murmured the voice in dark, using his old nickname.

"... Ket-chan?"

"Hai." The hand Zoutou had captured freed itself, calloused fingers ghosting over his face again, then his lips. "I didn't completely forget you... I knew something was missing." The voice became closer, hot air rushing past his ear. Zoutou sat up, and he was pulled against a strong chest, and he inhaled in surprise.

"Yuusuke?"

"More or less... I am so glad I found you again, Zou," said the disembodied voice, and Zoutou could see Ketsui in his minds eye, brown eyes, black hair and smirking with that infuriating attitude of his. Why hadn't he seen it sooner?

"You're not supposed to remember," Zoutou whispered softly, while at the same time wrapping his arms around him and holding him as tightly as he could.

"I know," rushed past his ear, and a light kiss was placed on it. Shivering, Zoutou tilted his head, the person he couldn't see sucking the flesh there, then feathering it with kisses. 

"I missed you... I remember how you liked this," Ketsui said softly, hands pulling off his shirt, and kissing along his collar bone. Zoutou shivered. Pulling the golden eyed bishounen's hand to his mouth, Yuusuke kissed his wrist, then lathed his palm, causing Zoutou to shudder all over.

Oh yes, this is definitely Ketsui, he thought, eyes closing, though in the dark he couldn't tell. All he could do was feel, his own hands trying to grope back, catching Ketsui's boxers, and pressing a hand to his groin.

"Impatient as always," chuckled the voice, and a hot mouth was scalding its way down his throat to his nipples, shucking his boxers at the same time while pumping a hand over Zoutou's erection.

"I've- ahh!- been- oh, there please!- celibate for the past seven hu-UUHH!-undred years!" Zoutou panted, arching into those sandpaper hands. He dug his fingers into the shoulders with a death grip, leaving bloody half-moons behind. Groaning he fell backwards, the mouth moving down over his belly..

"Please please please please please..."

He could feel the smirk against his navel, while the tongue slid in and out, then Yuusuke swallowed his erection whole.

"KAMI-SAMA!"

A laugh around his manhood made his squirm from the vibration as Ketsui sucked, tugging lightly up from the base and off him. 

"You are still as sadistic as always," Zoutou gasped, and the heat radiating of Ketsui was gone, and a muffled curse was heard as he stumbled away. Zoutou had no idea where he was going, until Ketsui came back, was caught and his mouth thoroughly molested. A sound of something being popped open, then squirted was faintly heard.

"Mmmmm," Zoutou tried to say, but his mouth was not his own, as he was still being kissed. His legs were caught under the knees, pushing him up as his entrance was circled lightly with a slick finger. Zoutou made a questioning noise.

"I like to keep this stuff around," said the voice, more Yuusuke then Ketsui that time. "Its lotion. Non-scented... It'll keep you from hurting."

Zoutou laughed softly, enjoying the feel of those fingers. "You always were," he sighed, and consciously made himself relax," rather vain."

"And you were spoiled."

"You're still beautiful," Zoutou said softly, then hissing through his teeth as Yuusuke's fingers probed inwards, searching for his prostate.

"I still love spoiling you."

"AAHHH!!!"

The sound of his lover writhing in pleasure beneath him, panting, made it nearly impossible to go slowly. Positioning himself at Koenma's opening, he pushed in, gritting his teeth. 

"You... weren't kidding... about the celibacy thing were you?" Ketsui groaned, head tossed back as he started to push back and forth. Zoutou didn't answer, just keened, grabbing Ketsui's arms and bruising them. 

The pace increased furiously, Ketsui pounding into Zoutou's willing body, rolling around until Zoutou was on top, Yuusuke still keeping up his frantic pace.

"God, more, please... keep going, you won't hurt me..."

"You- dammit, Zou-" Yuusuke jerked his hips sharply, once twice, and came into Zoutou- who was howling his own completion.

Then both slumped, Zoutou falling over him, exhausted, with Yuusuke pulling him close and whispering sweet things. 

"I love you Zou-chan."

"I love you... too..."

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Morning arrived all too soon, and Koenma blinked at the sunlight. Then he tried to move- and the ache in his ass made him wince, but he smiled because of what caused it.

Looking down at Yuusuke, he wondered if part of him had always known. That was why he'd agreed to bring him back to life even though he would have failed his first test. Then he bit his lip.

He couldn't let Ketsui's memories completely resurface- as much as he wanted to have him back. If his father found out... He had no idea what he'd do. Besides- it wasn't fair to Yuusuke. Ketsui had been a different person, a different life. When you were reborn, you were a blank slate. If Yuusuke ever did develop feelings for him, it would be done the right way. Not like this.

Sighing, Zoutou kissed Yuusuke on the forehead, and used his powers to cloud the memories of what had happened last night, not completely taking them away. They were dreams now, not memories. Odd, bizarre, but forgotten and unimportant in the morning.

"Ketsui, Yuusuke... Goodbye. I hope you find life and love, like we couldn't before."

With that, Koenma, Junior Lord of the Spirit World, got his clothes together, left a note of apology saying he needed to get to work, and disappeared to his office, to tackle the backlog of work from the night before.

  
  


To be continued!

  
  



	3. III

Junior III

  
  


Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

  
  


Yuusuke woke up. His futon was oddly cold, his room oddly quiet. Something wasn't right.

This his face heated up, red as a cherry. The dreams of Koenma last night had been... Gods, why had he dreamt of Koenma like that? True, the toddler prince, in teenage guise, was... And sure, he'd been adorable, vulnerable like that... Ahh... Had to be hormones. 

Had to be.

Dreams of Koenma moaning his name in different positions and little quirks that were endearing flashed through his head, then were gone. They flowed through his fingers like sand. He couldn't grip them.

Then they finally blew away.

Sighing, Yuusuke sat up, naked, under his thin sheet and shivered. Damn... Judging from the mess of the futon, he must have had one hell of a wet dream last night...

Mildly disturbed, he got up, listening for his mother who had yet to come home, and looked around. No sign of the demi-god. Then he noticed the note.

It was a polite, if terse, thank you for his help. Then an explanation about having to get back to work. For some reason, he felt abandoned and a bit miffed. He'd wanted to see Koenma this morning..

Er... maybe he'd heard Yuusuke saying his name while he slept? That would scare anyone off.

Gods... the embarrassment... Shrugging to himself, he dumped his futon and sheets into the general vicinity of the hamper. (Did he have a hamper? Laundry just sort of went there and was done when he thought about it.) Next stop, the bathroom.

Then he stopped in front of the mirror. Stared.

Bruises the size and shape of fingers lined his biceps, and scabbed over half-moons, the shape and size of nails, dotted his back. Some scratches as well...

"What the hell happened last night?"

Those odd dreams about Koenma- there was no way they could be real. Right?

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Koenma-sama, Junior Lord of the Reikai, was fucked up.

Really fucked up.

Or at least he thought so, as for the second week in a row, he had puked his guts out into a small basin in his apartment. For the past four weeks, he'd been tired, irritable (more so than usual) and sore all over. Then the vomiting had started.

Yet for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what was wrong. A kami didn't get sick like a human, and he'd been one for a long time. He could possibly get sick while in his teenage form, but still...

Shakily, he wiped his mouth with a towel. After the first three times, he'd gotten the idea to be prepared in the mornings when this happened. He also had been careful about hiding it. His father was already touchy about him staying in his 'mortal' teenage form. 

The godling growled to himself, uncharacteristically temperamental. His Dad could shove it this time. It had been seven hundred years- he could grow up a bit. 

"Koenma-sama?" asked a curious voice at his bedroom door. Botan.

He rinsed his mouth out quicky and wiped his face off. "Yes?"

"Are you okay sir? You're going to be late for work!"

"Its nothing!" he called, getting shakily to his feet. He didn't want to work. He was tired. The constant nausea he had to fight in the mornings meant that he felt crappy the rest of the day and rarely slept at all. Not that he had slept much before hand- he usually slept at his desk on his papers anyways.

His human blood meant that he did have to take some time for himself, so he wouldn't drop over from exhaustion. He wouldn't die- his Dad would throw a fit of that happened and he'd be reincarnated just so he could be spanked- but his body would be in such a wreck that he couldn't function. Sighing, he went to find his breakfast, usually skipped in favor of coffee- and opened the door to let Botan in.

This was one of the few times of the day that he and she could just talk. He and she ate together, usually breakfast even if it was nothing but that coffee, getting ready for the load of papers... 

Botan walked in, chipper as always, kneeling next to the table with the food on it and pouring some of the brew. The strong smell of the dark liquid, made strong enough to peel paint, was usually the closest the young god would get to heaven in the morning- until he abruptly turned green and ran to bathroom, his basin, and started to throw up again. 

"KOENMA-SAMA?" gasped the blue haired ferry girl, getting to her feet to rush over. "What's wrong Koenma-sama?"

"I'm, I'm fine Botan. Its nothing! Really!"

"But Koenma-sama-" she looked suspicious, frowning at him. 

Koenma frantically tried to think of a plausible explanation even though he had none. 

"I- er- I have the flu. Yes! That's it! The flu!"

"Koenma-sama?" she looked puzzled now. "Can you get the flu?"

"Um... why not? I spent some time around Yuusuke in my teenage form and the Ningenkai is full of germs..." The only other explanation, from a vague memory of when he was Zoutou and his mother had expected another child, before miscarrying, floated up- but that was silly.

"Then shouldn't you see a healer?"

"Its no big deal! I'll be fine, just wait a while and it'll go away," he waved her off.

"If you're sure," Botan finally said, dubiously, head tilted to the side. Her magenta eyes seemed to be trying to poke some hole in his story. 

"I'm sure- now lets get some work done!"

Koenma escorted Botan over to the breakfast table, trying to look calm and collected, but now that the idea had taken root, he couldn't get rid of it.

What if?

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, Botan, what's got your panties in a bunch?" Yuusuke asked, looking at Botan who was acting anything but her usual perky self. She, Yuusuke, Kuwabara, Keiko, and Kurama were sitting in the Ramen shop, slurping up their favorite noodles... while Kuwabara would sneak tidbits to Hoshi-chan, his new kitten, who was sitting in his lap.

"Its nothing," she said, not looking at him, eyes clearly lost in thought.

"Its something. Yuusuke is correct- you are being unusually quiet," Kurama pointed out calmly, as he usually did. 

Keiko, ever concerned, put her hand on her friend's arm. "Whatever it is, you can tell us."

"Its just that... Koenma-sama's been acting so strangely lately. First walking off the job... He seemed fine for a few weeks after that, then I found him throwing up just from the smell of coffee. He told me he thought he had the flu. Then he started sleeping all the time, even in the middle of the day! It scared poor George to death! He'll suddenly go from hyper to bawling about the smallest things! Then he was running to the bathroom every hour on the hour! He won't tell me what's going on and I'm so worried," she nearly whimpered, turning away from them.

"How long has this been going on?" 

"It started about four months ago!" Botan wrung her hands. "Almost immediately after... you remember..."

"Zoutou's been acting weird that long and you hadn't told us?" Yuusuke frowned at her, hands tightening on his bowl of ramen.

The others looked at Yuusuke, confused.

"He told you his birth name?" Botan gaped. 

"Yeah, on his death-day thing. Was really pissy about it too. I get the feeling he doesn't like "Koenma" much," Yuusuke shrugged it off. 

"He won't go see a healer, and refuses to go into his toddler form. Its like he can't!"

"Urameshi- who's Zoutou?" Kuwabara interrupted, stroking his cat- who looked as confused as everyone else.

"That's Koenma. He told it to me when we had to look for him, long story. Why hasn't anyone done anything?" Yuusuke crossed his arms now, looking serious. He'd not seen Zoutou since, not even for a mission. He'd always sent orders through Botan.

"He won't let anyone close enough to him!" she burst out, nearly hysterical with worry. Keiko put an arm around her shoulders, gently rocking her friend.

All of the Urameshi-gumi looked at each other, frowning. This behavior was completely unlike the Reikai lord. 

"Maybe we should get Yukina and pay a visit?" Kurama carefully suggested, looking at Yuusuke. The leader of the Tentai nodded, and they started to get up.

Kuwabara watched the rest of the team for a few minutes, snuggling the cat, and said softly to it.

"I'll get some cold water, I want to look into this too- and you need some hot."

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Koenma had tried to ignore what had gone on for the past several months.

The nausea, the sleepiness, the mood swings... Until the little bulge had shown up under his once flat navel. Then he'd gone into a full blown panic.

Once he had gotten past the disbelief, he'd done some research during his badly needed sleeping hours, and found out that, yes... A Kami could get pregnant. He supposed this extended to half kami's with full kami workloads... or something. However it had been possible, it had happened. 

Then there was the weird elation that had come with it- he was having Ketsui's child. He understood now why the women from his village as a child would go nuts over a newly expectant mother- to keep her from freaking out and to get the home and family ready.

Then came the dread.

Yuusuke would find out. He would NOT be happy, especially since he didn't really remember what had happened. Zoutou had no real claim to Yuusuke. Had he full access to Ketsui's memories, perhaps... 

What about his FATHER?

The thought had made him tremble. Unconsciously he reached down to stroke the small rounding bump, trying not to hyperventilate. Thankfully the enormous stacks of paperwork hid him better than the loose robes that he'd donned that day. No one really cared how steady his hands were as he pounded the damned stamp...

"Hey, Gramps!"

Jerking with surprise, and dumping over yet another stack of forms, Koenma found himself looking at the entire Reikai Tentai, save Kuwabara, and some extras. 

Hiei glared at Koenma, while Kurama looked curious but impassive, while Yuusuke looked... genuinely concerned. The others...

"Yukina-san? What are you doing here?" he blinked, then frowned, suspecting the reason for their visit. "Botan?" he hissed.

The ferry girl wilted under his glare. "I'm sorry, Koenma-sama! But you've been acting so strangely for so long and I got worried and they asked so I told them and they decided to bring Yukina and her apprentice to make sure you are okay so will you PLEASE let her look you over? I'm so worried about you!"

Koenma and the others looked at her during this outburst, sweat dropping. 

"I- I'm fine. I don't need a healer. I told you that before."

"But KOENMA!"

"Please, Zoutou?" Yuusuke cut in, softly. "We're all worried."

"Its nothing!" he kept protesting.

"If its nothing... walk over and pick up that crap you knocked off your desk," Hiei said, red eyes narrowing at the demi-god. 

Koenma didn't answer, just frowned and sucked a little more on his pacifier. Walking... more like waddling, ever since he'd started to show his balance had gone straight to hell, he swiftly reached over to grab what he'd dropped.

Swiftly, Hiei had pulled the ward off his Jagan and took a quick look at Koenma, sputtering at what he found. 

"Oh, shit," Zoutou whispered, realizing he'd been had. 

Then a great gong sounded- announcing the arrival of Enma Daioh- senior lord of the Reikai.

"KOENMA! COME TO MY OFFICE IMMEDIATELY!"

"Oh shit again."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


The Urameshi team had been ushered out of the Palace after the return of the Great Lord, citing that one does not dress down a superior in front of his juniors. 

"His ki felt weird," said Kasumi, Yukina's apprentice, who was fidgeting nervously with her kimono. "Like..."

"Like he had someone else there with him," Yukina finished, patting her apprentice on the shoulder. "You are learning very quickly Kasu-chan."

"Hm," Hiei grunted, looking distant. "I saw him with my Jagan... I can understand why he would want to keep this quiet. What he's doing, as far as I know, is not illegal... But his father is NOT going to be happy about it. Especially since a demon was involved."

Hiei was quickly surrounded as the throng tried to ask him questions all at once.

However, being quiet was quickly put moot as Yuusuke grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and shook him. Then Yuusuke was bopped on the head by Kasumi, who was in turn pulled back by both Keiko and Yukina.

"If you would be QUIET!" Hiei snarled, arching his back like a cat.

You could have heard a pin drop. 

"Now," he smirked at the girls. "What do these symptoms sound like? Vomiting, sleepiness, mood swings?"

It was Keiko who answered. "Sounds like he's-" her eyes bulge and she slapped a hand over her mouth. "Hiei- are you SERIOUS?"

The little fire/ice demon nodded, smiling faintly. 

"Hey hey HEY!" Yuusuke yelled at the top of his lungs. "For the rest of us who didn't ace every class- what are you talking about?"

"Koenma-sama is pregnant."

Massive face fault from all those present...

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


The waiting was driving everyone crazy.

The girls had gotten together, Kasumi included, and had tried to think of various things to get the baby even though they didn't know Enma's decision. It was a girl thing.

Hiei and Kurama had taken to sparring in the hall in a desperate attempt to relieve the nagging nerves everyone had... While Yuusuke just sat feeling stricken.

Yuusuke wasn't stupid. Babies needed two parents... even if in this case it was two fathers... and they had already pinned down when the weirdness had started. Those dreams, waking up with Koenma gone- the marks of someone obviously having enjoyed themselves on his body- he flushed.

So, he and Koenma had fucked. Koenma had screwed with his memories, because even then he had trouble trying to find them... Now, he was mad.

Then he felt hollow- like, like betrayal. He wanted to know why Koenma had taken those memories. He wanted to know why he'd made love to the Reikai Prince in the first place. Trying to think back... Well, okay, what had happened?

He'd found Koenma in the park looking like last weeks punching dummy and drinking like a fish.

They'd gone to his place after Koenma'd passed out. 

Then Zoutou had proceeded to tell him about what happened... Mentioning some guy... What had his name been? Then they'd gotten very drunk, both of them. Then they'd fallen asleep.

Dreams were all that came after that. Bizarre, disjointed, fragments of a whole he couldn't see. 

This pissed him off.

"I hope," someone said softly, voice shaking," that Enma doesn't hurt the baby."

"Huh?" echoed across the hallway.

"What do you mean Botan?" Yuusuke felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

"I mean that... well, before Koenma was born, it was rumored that while he would never kill someone once they had been born, the reason that Enma didn't have more children running around was because he would kill them in the womb," the ferry girl shook for a moment.

"You also told us that Enma might kill us because Koenma walked out of the job, too," Kasumi pointed out. "I mean... he's supposed to be a good guy, right? Why would he kill..." She faltered.

"They're only rumors, but it is strange, isn't it, that Koenma is an only child? Especially since he's a bastard? Why weren't there more?" she sniffled faintly. Everyone looked scared.

"He's a god, not a demon," Kurama said softly. "He can't kill a human, but before its born..?"

Yuusuke's heart smacked against his rib cage- he wasn't angry at Zoutou now, but worried about their child. THEIR child. 

He was going to be a father. 

Thump

"Yuusuke?" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Zoutou stared up at the massive form of his father, trying not to throw up from nerves and leftover morning sickness. He always had this effect on him. Imposing, towering, the Elder God had so much power that it made demons, even the Makai god Yakumo fear. He never showed true affection to his son- Koenma knew he'd been a mistake. Sure, he'd spank him if he was bad, but that was as close as they would ever come to being a 'father and son'. 

"What do you have to say for yourself?" 

"I," he shuddered, putting a hand over his middle. "Please don't hurt the baby."

Enma raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You go off... and get screwed, and knocked up... by a DEMON... and you don't want me to hurt this child? Its an abomination! By all rights I should destroy it immediately!"

"N-NO!"

Enma glared at his son. "Who is the father?"

"I-I w-won't t-tell y-you."

"WON'T TELL ME?"

"I won't let you hurt him or the baby," Zoutou squeaked breathlessly, backing into a wall. He felt his knees want to knock together- he wanted to run so badly he shook. He couldn't though. There was no where to go.

"You realize you can't stop me," the Elder God threatened.

"Only if you want to kill me first."

Enma hissed between his teeth, rubbing his massive chin. Koenma had proved his worth as a worker, frequently. Without him, Enma would have to handle all of the small stuff himself- something he would hate to do again.

"You will go to the Ningenkai until this abomination of yours is born," Enma finally proclaimed, growling. "I don't want to ever see this thing of yours. Now give me that damned pacifier and get out of my sight!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Yuusuke groggily woke up as the doors to Koenma's office opened, they watched with surprise as Koenma stumbled out, without his pacifier, biting his lip and falling against one of the walls to slide down onto his bum. Everyone in the hall rushed over- surrounding the young immortal and starting to chatter madly.

Zoutou didn't even look at them, his eyes unfocused as he bit his lip. Yuusuke noticed he'd curled up on himself, much like when he'd been when they'd found him in the park, only this time his hands were cradled protectively around his waist. His breath was coming in shuddering gasps, close to hyperventilating and his face was shiny with sweat.

"Koenma-sama?" Botan finally asked, reaching out to touch his face. The immortal's eyes snapped to her face, his breath wheezing, eyes dilating to the point that he looked like he had black holes in his face.

"He's in shock!" Yukina yelped, seeing what was going on and grabbing Kasumi to help her. 

"Do whatever the hell you want with him," said a massive, echoing voice, and they all turned to see Enma stand in the door, scowling. "Until that thing is born, its not my concern."

"Lets get him to Genkai's," Yuusuke ordered, and leaned over to pick up the pregnant god. They all filed away, quickly, while Enma stared at their backs. Turning, Yuusuke snarled back, and nearly spat at him, but he couldn't. Not if they wanted to help Koenma.

Gods, Yuusuke thought. What was he going to do now?

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Genkai had taken the news of a pregnant god in her home rather well.

This is to say she laughed so hard she gave herself the hiccups, saying that after all the weirdness lately, what was a little more, and then had them tuck Koenma into a futon in a spare room. Yuusuke had been staring at Koenma the whole time- Kurama and Hiei had noticed this, Yukina and Kasumi too busy to fusing over the pregnant one to pay attention, Keiko was off comforting Botan, and Genkai had stopped laughing long enough to drink some tea, also noticing Yuusuke's pointed attention.

Night had fallen quickly, everyone turning in, except for Yuusuke who had stayed on the veranda next to Koenma's room while he slept. He'd been chain smoking most of the time.

"So... the child is yours," said an old, cantankerous voice, and Yuusuke sensed his master's ki approach him. Yuusuke didn't turn to look at her.

"I don't remember it. Both of us were so drunk at the time... My dad ran off. I never met the guy."

"Are you afraid you'll do the same?"

"I don't know. I mean... is this my fault? I have no idea how to be a father... I never thought I liked men before either. I am so damned confused..."

The door slid open behind them, and an old, tired voice piped up. "This is my fault, Yuusuke. I... never knew this could happen at all. I'm not certain you would want to remember, either."

Yuusuke's head whipped around to glare at the god, who even now was posed with his arms over his middle. "Why the fuck would I NOT want to remember?"

"You weren't yourself at the time."

"Not my- didn't I ask first?" Yuusuke was shocked.

"N-no! Not that at all! You... just," he put his hands over his face. "How the hell do I explain this?"

"From the beginning?" Genkai said dryly.

"How about you give me my memories first?" Yuusuke growled. "That would clear things up right there."

Koenma glared back at him, gold eyes pinning his soul. "On your head be it," he snapped, and gestured. Yuusuke looked like he was about to spit something back, when his eyes widened. Then rolled up into his head as a shudder went through him. Falling forward with a cry, he braced himself on all fours, then turned to look at Koenma with... something indescribable.

"You aren't responsible Yuusuke," Koenma said softly, sitting down beside him. Yuusuke looked afraid.

"He never stopped loving you, you know," he finally said, breathing hard, then getting to his feet. "Even after all this time and losing his memories. I- I need time to think."

"Its okay, Yuusuke. If you don't want to have anything to do with me."

"ZOUTOU!" he cried, appalled. "HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT?"

"You and Ketsui have the same soul... but you aren't the same person. Its not fair to you to be burdened with the memories of a past life. No one needs that."

"However, being involved with you is my decision," Yuusuke growled, then realized what he said. "I need to go for a walk."

"Take all the time you need, Yuusuke," Zoutou whispered, as Yuusuke walked away. "Take all the time you need."

Before leaving, the raven haired Reikai Tentai turned to look at the young god- sitting in blue robes, silly JR on his forehead... with a soft curve around his middle.

"I'll be back," he promised, and walked away.

  
  


To be continued!

  
  



	4. IV

Junior IV

  
  


Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all. 

A/N: I stole the idea of Tokima from Devil Hunter Youko. He'll be showing up this chapter or the next.

  
  


Yuusuke had ambled from the clearing of Genkai's temple, until he was sure he was no longer in sight. The image of the forlorn looking Koenma, sitting on the porch, cradling his rounding middle protectively while he stared at Yuusuke's back had stuck with him though he had not turned around to look. He couldn't look. If he did... He'd run. Back to Koenma, or as far away as he could, he wasn't sure.

He was scared as hell.

The memories that had suddenly been opened in his head were pulling him in a dozen different directions, trying to rip up the whole known as "Yuusuke". This unknown person called Ketsui, so much like him but so different, was worming his way into his thoughts and feelings and it was just damned freaky! 

Too many thoughts. Breaking into a run, he charged out into the middle of the Dark Forest hoping that some demon would try to fight him so he could be all over its ass. He wanted to lose himself in the flying of fists, feet, and ki, and be damned of the consequences.

Ketsui had lived a long life- Koenma had seen to that. A relatively happy one, too. Yet it had been hollow. 

Oh shut up, he told the memories that popped up in his brain. You aren't mine.

Yes they are, another part said. Just because you had forgotten them before doesn't mean they aren't real. You acted on them your whole life you just didn't know it.

"Shut up!" he told the voice, getting faster.

You can't run from this. You won't run from him.

"My dad ran from me," he growled loudly. 

You aren't him.

"THEN WHO AM I?"

You. Me. Us.

Nearly running into a stream that was being fed by a nearby waterfall, Yuusuke skidded to a stop, hands on his knees while he panted, more from emotion than real exertion. 

"Why did you make me sleep with him?"

You made you sleep with him, remember? You remembered how damn cute he looked before he passed out, and remembered how he would sleep back then, all looking vulnerable with those soft lips and his gorgeous ass and the little sounds he made and...

"ALL RIGHT! I get your point! I sort of remember, er... this is bad, I'm not only talking to myself- I'm arguing!" he growled, smacking himself upside the head.

Then he frowned. "All right then, Ketsui... we are going to get to know one another a lot better now..."

Finding a place to put his back to, he folded his legs and propped his face against his fist in a typical 'thinker's' pose- for about three minutes before sprawling on his back to look up at the stars.

He remembered...

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Koenma sat on the veranda, shivering, hugging his knees and sighing. He wanted Yuusuke back... 

Genkai was sitting next to him, having some tea. 

"Have you given any thought to what you are going to do next?"

The god didn't answer, just hunkered down a little more.

"A kid is a big responsibility."

"I know," he said softly, rubbing a hand through his hair, showing that silly JR on his forehead.

"I'll give you that you probably didn't know that a male kami could get pregnant. However, you do know that Yuusuke could just run off."

"I know," he said, voice even more quiet. 

"He never knew his father."

"I know."

"Do you love him?"

"I... I think I do."

Genkai looked at him sharply. "This is not your feelings for his previous incarnation. We are talking about Yuusuke Urameshi here."

"I understand that. I understand that he is a punk kid who has no respect for authority and gets into trouble a lot. I understand that he will inherit a third of the Youkai. I also understand that he has had a hard life and came out a diamond in the rough. He... is someone who treated me like a person. Not the son of Enma Daioh. His boss, sure. I was that annoying guy who sent him on missions. Still... he wasn't afraid of me. It was nice."

"Ah... you had hoped to make more of a relationship with him over time."

"Yes. Now though... That might be ruined. Dammit though... I had no idea he was Ketsui. I had wondered where his soul had gone, and hoped he was happy, but it was never in my hands in the first place."

"People do remember their past lives, especially if they run into people they had known," Genkai pointed out, lighting up a cigarette. 

"Do you mind?" Koenma said pointedly looking at the light. "I AM pregnant."

Genkai's smile was ironic, then rubbed it out. 

"What are you going to do?"

"I have tried to not think about it. I don't want to give her or him up... Yet with my job, what else could I do? Enma won't let me stop working to raise a child. If Yuusuke is unwilling to help, I'll have to find a place to hide the baby... Too many people hate me, and hate Yuusuke for someone to openly foster the child..."

"There is always the possibility that Yuusuke will fall madly in love with you and because he's part demon, be strong enough that you can ignore your father and be together."

"Genkai... I didn't think you were a romantic."

"Call it my age," she said softly. "He's my student, and I would like to see him happy. I personally think you'll be good for each other."

Koenma laughed weakly. "I gave up on happy endings after seeing Ketsui's guts fall out."

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


The little weak kid had been watching them for a long time now, Ketsui realized, playing with his friends. He looked lonely.

It was weird that he'd never seen him before. Ketsui thought he knew most of the kids his age in the village.

The kid was scared at first- until Ketsui tagged him as it and they started to run. The kid- Zou- had been shocked at first, then went after him. It was a fun day.

After that, Zou had been a regular part of Ketsui's group. They'd steal apples, wrestle (Zou usually lost), play endless games of tag, climb trees and catch frogs.

Ketsui was the son of one of the Shogun's soldiers, not as high as a samurai, but not without honor. The family was well off enough that they didn't starve. From the beginning, Ketsui had noticed how Zou had always looked well fed, despite being a bad fighter. He'd had pretty nice clothes at first... until one day he'd started to show up wearing clothes shabbier than Ketsui's. Zou would never talk about his parents, though boasting about your father was a common thing the boys did.

That kid was weird...

"Hey Zou?"

It was a nice afternoon, bright and warm, insects droning in a summer evening. Both boys were twelve and thirteen, respectively, and Ketsui had been in his warrior's training for the past three years. He would notice that Zou would disappear, back home, he'd say, and come back looking haggard and with black stains all over his hands. They were currently in the nearby woods, trying to find a place to go fishing.

"Yes?"

"How come you never talk about what your dad does?"

"Uh," Zou paused. "Its not very interesting."

"Oh." Experience had taught Ketsui that this was the most he would get out of Zou on the subject. While he would drop hints that the family might be very well off- Ketsui was fairly sure about that- he would never say who they were. It led Ketsui to think he might be the son of a merchant or something...

"See the fishing hole?"

"Nope," Ketsui said- then tripped over something. "Shit!"

"What is it?" Zou asked, stepping over to help older boy up.

When Ketsui looked around, he noticed what had tripped him. "Ahh... someone left some scrolls here," he pouted, and picked them up, about to toss them away. Zou rescued them from his hand before he could.

"Aren't you going to look at them?" Zou asked, frowning, before unrolling the scroll, eyes squinting in the half light. 

"Why? Its not like I can tell what they say."

"You can't read?" Zou exclaimed in surprise, looking at his friend. His expression made it clear how basic he considered the skill.

"You can?" Ketsui muttered- as shocked as Zou was at his lack. "Only nobles, merchants and priests can read!"

"Uh," Zou's eyes darted around, trying to find SOMETHING to cover his slip. "I- er, know some priests. They er... my dad had them teach me."

Zou didn't say anything- his eyes just went back to the scroll, pursing his lips together and then his eyes widened, red gold in the setting sun.

"I have to go," he said reluctantly.

"Why? What did it say?"

"Its, well, I need to take it to someone. And I won't tell you what it says," Zou said, straight faced.

"WHY? You look worked up about it and won't tell me-" Ketsui pouted.

"I'll teach you to read it yourself."

Ketsui stopped dead, eyes going wide. "Won't you get in trouble?" Zou tended to fear getting hurt or in trouble above all else.

"What else is new?" Zou grinned at him, and punched his shoulder. "I can't stay OUT of trouble around you! Besides... You're my best friend. I can't fight but I can do this!"

With that, he ran off... and Ketsui was left wondering, once again, where he was going.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Yuusuke opened his eyes, to see that the stars had turned a great deal while he'd been remembering.

"He never stuck his neck out for himself. For other's though... Bastard," he muttered, sitting up. "Stupid bastard god. You were so good at watching your own ass but when it came to watching other's, you had such faith in them you put yourself on the line. I could have gone to the priests about you teaching me how to read... Of course, you knew I'd be so curious I'd never tell."

"That didn't stop me from getting into trouble... I was a punk then too..."

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"LET ME GO YOU OLD CODGERS!" Ketsui screamed, as he was being dragged by one of the head samurai of the shogun's guard. 

It was three years later- Ketsui was sixteen while his friend Zou was fifteen. The reading project had gone fairly well. The prospect of learning something nearly forbidden had kept the little ruffian interested. 

"You insulted the youngest son of the Shogun by calling him a girly coward who never shows his face while his brother's do all the work!"

The warrior's training that Ketsui had undergone had brought him into close contact with the eldest sons of the Shogun. They had earned his respect often in the practice courts. In fact, they had suggested he go into officer's training, even though his birth would have kept him from it.

"WELL HE IS! His brothers are out there kicking ass while he keeps records! He doesn't do anything but sit around all day acting like one of those high paid courtesans! Hell, even his brothers say so!"

"We will take you to him for judgement. He serves his father differently than you- but it is not without honor. Stay here!" They threw him into a small room, decorated with poems on the walls, painted screens, a few sitting cushions and a writing table. Kneeling on one of those, Ketsui tried not to fidget as he waited. His eyes drifted to the walls and the poems... The hand they were written in looked familiar, but he couldn't imagine why.

The screen on the opposite side of the room slid open, and someone walked in. 

"What the hell are you DOING here, Zou?" Ketsui barked, getting to his feet. "You'll get into worse trouble than me if they find you!"

Zou looked at Ketsui, plainly as surprised to see him there as Ketsui was to see him.

"I work here," he paused. "What are YOU doing here?"

"I'm hear because I said the truth about that stupid youngest son of the Shogun," Ketsui muttered, crossing his arms. "They brought me here for him to pass judgement on me."

A strange expression passed over Zou's face. "What did you say about him."

"I said he was girly and a coward and that his brothers did all the fighting for their father," Ketsui said and shrugged. "Its nothing that you don't hear on the courts, even from his brothers."

"Have you ever met him?" 

Ketsui rolled his eyes. "Isn't that the point? I mean, he never fights, he never does anything!"

Zou sat then, across from Ketsui, eyes on his hands. Ketsui blinked at the expression of hurt on Zou's face... and followed his gaze to those hands. They were clean at the moment, though they usually sported ink stains, and the fingers were long and tapering, the nails trimmed neatly. No callouses there. They were really beautiful hands...

The kimono that Zou was wearing was also expensive goods. Black with white cranes... Much better than the clothing he wore when visiting Ketsui and his friends and family- he usually wore a badly stained and ill fitting gi and hakama. 

"I know that he doesn't fight, Ketsui, but he does his part here. He keeps the accounts, manages the estates so that people will make a profit. Doesn't that count for something?"

Ketsui wanted to snort, then sighed loudly. His eyes went back to Zou's hands.

"I guess... but how can a person earn honor that way?"

"He won't be able to. You hear rumors, so you know the ones that he's actually a bastard. If it wasn't for his mother's family in the Emperor's court, she and he would probably be put to death. The only thing he is allowed to do is work. Earning honor is beyond him."

"Oh," Ketsui's eyes widened. "Oh shit. Poor bastard..."

"You might not have known that," Zou said, a bleak smile on his face. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell many people, either. The Shogun doesn't want it noised around that his wife might have been unfaithful."

"Damn... I guess I need to apologize to this guy... What's taking him so long?"

Zou suddenly laughed. "He's busy. He won't really care if you leave, either. He's heard it before."

Ketsui got up. "I'm really sorry," he put a hand out to grab Zou's. The other boy took the proffered limb, and got to his feet, and Ketsui didn't want to let go... The hand was smooth and soft, the fingers strong though, gripping his hand back. A pit yawned open in his stomach, as Zou led him out- still holding his hand. 

The warrior in training stared at Zou's profile as they made their way through the Shogun's compound. He'd never considered it before... 

Zou was beautiful.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
  
  


"Beautiful," Yuusuke heard himself say, opening his eyes again. He was. Golden eyes, slender body... Yuusuke cut those thoughts off as they had the predictable effect on his lower anatomy. 

"Shit," he muttered, and then jumped into the cold waters of the stream. The last thing he needed to be thinking with was that part of his body at the moment. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"I can't believe it! You're engaged to the girl and you haven't kissed her once?" Zou mocked, falling over laughing as Ketsui told him about the girl his parents had arranged for him to marry.

"I just met her last night! What do you expect?" Ketsui muttered, exasperated. Ever since he'd first noticed how beautiful Zou was... he hadn't been able to look at girls the same way. Especially when Zou was falling against him and holding on to him for dear life to keep from falling and he really wanted to-

Oh hell.

"I don't know how to kiss," Ketsui muttered, holding on to Zou. They'd snuck some sake from Ketsui's engagement party and had been tossing it back. 

"It doesn't look too hard," Zou giggled. He had never been able to hold his sake well.

"Well, I'd like to see YOU try it!" Ketsui growled, still holding on to Zou.

Zou smirked at him... then leaned in, lips pressing against his and moving gently. Ketsui was so shocked he just let him, pulling him close. Oh gods oh gods oh GODS!

He then shoved him off, letting Zou drop to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Zou? What are you doing? What kind of, of freak are you?"

Zou's eyes suddenly filled up with tears. "I thought... Didn't you like the kiss?"

That was all Ketsui was able to hear- because as soon as those words were uttered, he knew they were true- and he ran. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Koenma got up awkwardly from his seat on the veranda, looking up at the stars...Genkai had returned to her room. She needed sleep. Hell, he needed sleep... A long stretch later, he turned to go back to the room he'd been sleeping in, when he heard a soft sniffle from the side- and a blue haired ferry girl suddenly collided with him.

"Botan?"

"I'm sorry Koenma-sama that all this happened I was so worried and you were so sick and I was afraid you were going to die again and that would have been bad because you really do work hard and..." she rambled on for quite some time, trying to hug him to death.

"Botan?" he said weakly.

"Yes, Koenma-sama?"

"Let go?"

"OH!"

She nearly dropped him, and started to look him over. She had for quite some time thought of him as a little brother, and when she got to his middle, she smiled and waved at it.

"Hello little one! I'm Botan-baachan! I can't wait to meet you!"

Koenma blinked at her, vaguely amused and vaguely disturbed by how she talking to his stomach. He hoped she was the only one to do so... His life would get even weirder if everyone suddenly decided to say hello to his abdomen...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


Ketsui hadn't talked to Zou in at least a week, since that kiss.

He didn't know why he'd run away. Part of him had wanted to kiss him ever since they'd met at the Shogun's compound. It was the reality of it- how much he'd enjoyed it, and the idea that Zou might like him back that had never occurred to him. So he'd enjoyed his little daydream, never thinking he could wake up to it.

"He's my best friend," the young warrior muttered, and started a sword kata. "He's my best friend and I think he's beautiful. I think I-"

Shit.

"I think I love him."

Swinging the sword down, Ketsui fought on, then stopped, dead still, when it hit him.

"I know I love him... I've loved him for years. Lust just took a while to catch up..."

A twig cracked behind him, and Ketsui had jumped the person before another sound was made.

"Zou!" he choked, from his straddling position on the other boy, getting up and backing away. "What are you doing here?"

Golden eyes met his dark chocolate ones with painful hope.

"I came to see how you were... I hope you aren't angry..."

"I- I- no, I'm not angry. Just was... surprised."

"What now?" Zou whispered, barely audible.

His answer was Ketsui giving him a hand up- and being pulled close, held... and then kissed.

The kiss swiftly heated to something more, and the ground was soon covered in their clothes, touching, moans filling the air...

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"Okay, the cold bath obviously didn't work," Yuusuke gritted his teeth, coming out of the memory of the first time Ketsui and Zoutou had made love, having to open up his pants and jack off like there was no tomorrow. 

"Oh gods, he is so fucking hot," he moaned, remembering his first time in this life and the last one, shuddering hard as he came over his hand. Panting, he looked at his hand, sighed, and went to wash off with more cold water. He swore internally at the new memories... That was the first time, but it wasn't the only time...

Then had come the time when Ketsui's image fo Zoutou had changed forever.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


"ZOUTOU-SAMA!" someone had screamed. 

Ketsui and Zou had been watching back from the forest after one of their 'dates', both flushed and mussed, holding on to each other as they walked back.

"ZOUTOU-SAMA!"

Two servants from the Shogun ran up to Zou, kneeling, and Zou immediately let go of Ketsui to ask what happened.

"Its your mother! She's dead!"

"Dead?" he asked, face turning chalky.

"Yes, Zoutou-sama! She died in her sleep last night, and they found her this morning! You need to go to your noble father!" 

Ketsui was watching all this but his brain hadn't registered what was going on. People were bowing to Zou. They were calling him Zoutou. They were treating him like the son of the Shogun with the same name and were telling him his mother was dead. The Shogun's wife had been sick for some time. Therefore, this meant that Zou was Zoutou, youngest son of the Shogun and...

His thoughts ground to a halt.

"Thank you," Zoutou said faintly. "You may leave. I'll follow soon."

Ketsui looked at him.

"You, you- you-"

Zoutou sank to the dirt, kneeling, eyes not seeing anything. His mother was dead... and so was he. As soon as the funeral was over, his 'father' would try to get rid of him...

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" Ketsui screamed, picking him up by the front of his gi.

Zoutou's eyes fixed on his. "I was five when we met. Being part of the Shogun's household meant nothing. I was lonely and wanted to make friends. You and your friends were the first people to accept me- and I couldn't exactly tell you I was the disgrace, now could I?"

"That time in the compound," realization dawned on Ketsui's face. "That was you I was supposed to go to. It was you I was badmouthing. It was you that people told rumors about and you that had to live with me saying bad things about you even though I didn't know it."

Zoutou nodded, looking away.

"Why don't you hate me?" Ketsui let go his gi.

"Because it wasn't me you were talking about, Ketsui," Zoutou sighed. He wanted so badly to hold on to Ketsui and just hide in his arms. "It was the youngest son of the Shogun you had never met. It was the wimp you didn't know. It was me... but not Zou. That make any sense?"

Ketsui shook his head, shrugged, and looked lost. Tears had welled up in Zoutou's eyes.

"Gods, she's dead, Ket-chan! She's dead!" 

All his dark haired lover could do now was hold him, trying to sooth the hurt.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


The last memory was coming soon... The one he remembered Koenma telling him about, and Yuusuke did not want to see it. The emotions in Ketsui's memories were as fresh and strong as when he had first felt them. Hell, he was coming to terms with it BEING him, just in a different time and place. 

Talk about your weird revelations...

He still didn't want to see Zoutou tortured in front of him. He didn't want to remember dying again- even more, he didn't want to remember forgetting Zoutou.

//DraggedoutbeatenhumiliatedgodsZoutoudon'thurthimno!NO!//

He broke himself free, getting to his feet.

Yuusuke came to a few conclusions... The kid was his. He'd try to help as best he could... And he would not, he repeated to himself over and over again- he would NOT jump Zoutou at the first opportunity. No. No way...

Then he started to walk back to Genkai's, pausing when he heard a rustle in the bushes. Walking over, curious, because the sounds were NOTHING like an animal...

"ERGH!"

THEN he ran away.

He did NOT just see that.

He did NOT JUST SEE Hiei and Kuwabara making out without clothes on!

  
  


To be continued!

  
  



	5. V

**Junior V**

****

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

            The morning smelled good, part of him noted.

            It was so early it could still be called late, as the sky was that shade of steel blue that only shows up in the early mornings. Dew covered the grass, and the sky was clear, a few stars balanced on the opposite horizon as the patch of gathering light. The air was cool and clean, no noise or pollution out this far...

            Yuusuke Urameshi walked quietly back to Genkai's temple, thinking about what he had learned in the mere span of hours, and wondered how the world could suddenly turn on its head like it had. Then he snorted at his contemplative mood- something from Ketsui, probably. Yuusuke didn't bother to think deeply, it gave him a headache.

            Mornings were when he'd used to meet up with Zoutou, since they'd been children. A smile played on his lips, and headed for Koenma's room. Zoutou had changed a great deal from the boy Ketsui had known- of course, he wasn't exactly the same either. Ketsui would have been laughing his ass off over how things had turned out.

            Slipping in as quietly as he could, the dark haired warrior smiled down Koenma. 

            He was still pissed as hell at him for making him forget- Zoutou had done nothing to make him remember. Yuusuke had asked, he'd answered, and in the normal way of buddies, they would have gotten smashed and been done with it. Koenma hadn't known who Yuusuke had been...

            A brief flash of memory, meeting Botan as she took him to Enma, looking horribly worried, and the Judge of the Dead scowling at him like he'd personally offended him about something. Then the god smiled- and Ketsui had been so cold... Then an even briefer flash, of being held back from Zoutou as he stared at the giant defiantly, seeing Zoutou looking shocked and horrified- then he was back in his body, alive, wondering had happened and why he felt so empty...

            Death sucked, but living was worse.

            Sitting with his back to a corner, legs crossed, Yuusuke shook his head slightly, still in awe over what had happened. 

            A baby, a freaking honest to gods child that Koenma had conceived. It was a miracle in every sense of the word. Something amazing. It also scared him, with questions and worries and consequences he'd never imagined. Shoving those thoughts away, he looked back at his expecting lover.

 Zoutou slept as he always had, sprawled over his futon, blanket kicked off. He'd removed his shirt, pants and shoes, leaving a pair of boxers. This did nothing to hide the curve of his waist... Yuusuke found himself staring at it. How could he keep from staring? 

            Ketsui had always wanted to give something back to his Zoutou. While Yuusuke didn't think was what he had in mind… It would do. He'd take care of this child, this gift to both of them, and use their second chance together as best he could. Anyone who stood in their way could go to hell. No matter who it was.

~*~*~*~*~

            Bright sunlight flashed into Yuusuke's eyes, waking up him from the doze he'd fallen into a few hours before. He blinked and grinned at the sight in front of him- Zoutou had managed to completely reverse himself, his head at the foot of the futon. 

            Then his stomach decided to remind him that food would be a good thing- it was gnawing his backbone. Muttering in annoyance, he got up, stretched, listening to his bones pop and his joints creak. Shaking his head he slid the screen open, shut, and shivered at the cool air outside. Mornings were always so damned cold here...

            His mind picked up and sorted through the events of yesterday- had it only been yesterday? Then it stopped on something that had nothing to do with past lives, angst or pregnancy.

            "Oh gods, I did NOT see Kuwabara and Hiei- not those two. I must have seen been delusional- no damned-" he shook himself like a horse, trying to rid himself of that bizarre image.

            Then he stopped, hearing approaching steps. Turning he saw-

            Kuwabara and Hiei were walking side by side... holding... hands?

            Oh shit, he hadn't been dreaming. 

            His brain ticked off other details, like the bruised bite mark on Kuwabara's neck, the hickey on Hiei's collar bone, Hiei's lack of scarf, in fact, his robe was completely open and his skin was marked much the way Yuusuke's had been the morning after... um, that. 

            "Holy shit." 

            The pair paused, Kuwabara looking like a deer in headlights, while Hiei just smirked smugly at him. Hiei did NOT let go of Kuwabara's hand, instead, gripped it possessively. Yuusuke's eyebrows tried to hit his hairline. Hiei's posture was a clear warning- back off.

            "Why the hell didn't you guys TELL me you had been screwing around? I mean, good fucking grief man, Kuwabara, I'm your best friend! We're not girls to go gossiping-" there was a sudden, mad snicker from Hiei right there- "but I would think you would tell me if you'd scored!"

            Kuwabara was doing a credible impersonation of a tomato. He started to stutter, putting his free hand behind his head, still blushing. Hiei just kept smirking.

            Then Yuusuke directed his gaze to him. "I thought you had a thing for Kurama? What are you going to tell him when he finds out you've been fucking a human?"

            Hiei snorted. "It would be-" There was a sound of a sliding door, "none of his business."

            Kurama had awoken, the sound of voices bring him out of slumber, and walked out to the veranda, stopping dead still when he saw the pair holding hands.

            "Hiei... what's going on here?" He turned his gaze to Kuwabara, eyes turning to emerald ice. "What are you doing? He's mine!"

            "Yours?" Kuwabara blinked. "He's-"

            "YOURS?" Hiei screamed in rage, just as Kurama launched himself at Kuwabara. The human backed away, his reflexes barely saving him from being maimed as his mind tried to catch up with what was going on.

            "He's mine! You can't have him!"

            Yuusuke stared with his jaw slack, eyes bulging out of his head. This was worse than one of those stupid soap opera's Keiko had made him watch. Kurama was flicking his Rose Whip at Kuwabara, trying to hit him, while Kuwabara would try to doge- emphasis on the word try- and slice of sections of the whip before it hit him. He was marginally successful- well, not really, but he did try…

            "KISAMA!" Hiei hissed, getting between Kurama and Kuwabara, while making the motions of preparing his Black Dragon Wave. "I have never, and will never, belong to anyone!"

            Everyone froze.

            Then a door slid open with a slam, and a scream rent the air-

            "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T SOMEONE WAKE ME UP?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Koenma had always been a heavy sleeper, but he had an internal clock so precise you could set the sun by it. Now, it was saying he'd slept way too long, that he would never get anything done and that the universe would fall apart because of it. Sitting straight up, not noticing it wasn't his bedroom he was sleeping in, he scrambled into his rumpled clothes from the previous day, putting his shirt on backwards, forgetting his robe and snatching at his cape before bolting to the screen door.

            "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T SOMEONE WAKE ME UP? I'LL NEVER GET MY WORK DONE!"

            Then he paused- looking out on what might have been a scene from the Apocalypse had it been allowed to continue.

            Yuusuke was staring like a cow in headlights, Kurama was frozen in place, staring at Hiei who was about to attack, while Kuwabara had his Rei Ken out… but looked absolutely confused. Apparently his shout had stopped something.

            To the surprise and no little shock of everyone there, Hiei turned around, closing his Jagan and extinguishing the black fires of his Black Dragon, and walked over to Kuwabara, maintaining eye contact with Kurama. Then, deliberately, he put an arm around the human's waist.

            "You never expressed more than a passing interest in me, and then I only thought of you as an ally, perhaps, and if the oaf is right, a friend. I am my own person, and I belong to none. Kuwabara interests me- and its none of your business who I bed at night."

            Kazuma's face went through a spectrum of emotions at that comment. Joy as Hiei wrapped an arm around him, then resignation, then sadness, and finally, more resignation. Idiot though he might have been, he knew better than to keep Hiei… Though he looked like he was being torn apart.

            Kurama, it should be noted, saw that, even as Hiei clung to Kazuma a little more.

            "Great, I oversleep and the world is ending," Koenma muttered, rubbing his eyes free of sleep. His internal clock might work great- but his brain needed coffee. Unfortunately, due to morning sickness, that had been something he'd been foregoing lately. 

            Everyone turned to look at him, confused by his babble.

            "Why the hell are you fighting?" he asked.

            Yuusuke had started to chuckle, trying to NOT giggle at the situation, and pointed at Kuwabara and Hiei, and then at Kurama. Then he fell over laughing his butt off.

            "Oh," he said, still rubbing his eyes. "Its about time, too."

            Then he turned around and went back to his room.

~*~*~*~*~*~

            Genkai frowned as she sipped her tea, watching 'her boys'; the nitwit, the pretty boy, shorty, and the oaf sit around the table looking nervous.

            "I'm not wearing that, Botan!" called someone outside the screen. Koenma.

            "But you'd look so CUTE in that maternity dress!" said the familiar voice of the ferry girl.

            Everyone inside face-faulted.

            "I'm NOT wearing it! Thanks for bring my clothes, but good grief Botan! I'm pregnant, not female!"

            "Oh, come on!" interrupted a new voice- Keiko. "Botan and I spent a good couple of hours getting you baby stuff! The least you could do is try on the clothes!!"

            Everyone got up and blinked at each other. Botan and Keiko opened the door, dragging in the reluctant Koenma. He had apparently bathed and changed into something different- it was all put on correctly and his hair was damp. His no longer looked haggard, but he did look severely miffed. Yuusuke found his eyes inevitably drawn to Koenma's middle… 

            "Will you stop staring at me?" the young god huffed, sitting at the table and crossing his arms. Quirking a grin, and NOT looking at Yuusuke, he quipped, "You'd think you had never seen a pregnant man before."

            "It does happen in the Youkai," Kurama said, face calm, not showing the raging emotions beneath the surface. "Not often, and I've never heard of a Kami being that way."

            "I did some research when it became too obvious for me to ignore," Zoutou said, slumping his shoulders and pouring some tea, sipping carefully. Thankfully it WASN'T the coffee reaction again, and he kept it down. He didn't want to go running for the bushes. "A male kami can become pregnant, obviously. It happens so rarely though it's barely mentioned. Unfortunately…" Koenma looked away and grimaced. "I will need your help. I know you have no reason to help me, and I have no authority or power to force you with, but I need your help."

            Hiei snorted. "I'm glad you realize your situation here, Gramps. You're weak, you're in no position to ask for anything."

            Yuusuke found himself growling, eyes narrowed. "Right- he could have sent you to Hell, but instead sent you to a rather cushy parole, if I must say so. Plus he sent us to get Yukina back, remember?"

            "Expedience," Hiei said succinctly, and Koenma nodded, smiling ironically, almost bitterly. He wasn't going to mention the fondness he had for the Urameshi team, that he risked his father's anger for them- nor was he going to say whose child this was. It would but Yuusuke in a bad position.

            However, this did not stop Kuwabara and Yuusuke from coming to Koenma's defense.

            "Hey- you can't just leave him like this!" protested the tall boy. "I mean, he's in a delicate condition!"

            Yuusuke just narrowed his eyes at Hiei in a way that promised not even the Black Dragon Wave would save him. Hiei blinked, wanting to shrink away from that deadly glare. A contest of wills took place- and Yuusuke won, when Hiei looked away.

            Kurama, watching all of this, smiled to himself and scooted a little closer to Yuusuke.

            "How about the… other father?" Kurama said calmly, sipping his tea. "Surely he'd help? Hiei said he was a demon."

            "He's part demon," Koenma corrected. "He also just found out and we haven't gotten a chance to talk about it. It was," he blushed, looking at his hands. "uh, a surprise to all parties involved?" Koenma coughed delicately.

            "Who is he?" Kuwabara asked with his usual lack of tact. "Someone we know?"

            "His name," Yuusuke flinched, sure Koenma was going to tell them what happened, "was Ketsui. I had known him when I'd been alive. I didn't realize I knew his reincarnation."

            "Yeah? So who is he now?"

            "That's for him to decide to tell. The rules for someone remembering his past life are pretty loose, but that one is firm. You can't make a person remember, you can't hold them to what their previous life did. It counts for demons as well as humans, which, Kurama, is why you haven't been prosecuted for being Yoko Kurama."

            Koenma sighed, one hand instinctively covering his belly. "I shouldn't have done anything, when I realized who Ketsui was, but… sometimes you can't escape your past. I had loved him a great deal, and…" He trailed off, snorting to himself. 

            "We really don't care about who you bed, Gramps," Hiei said, but not unkindly. "Its your business," he glared daggers at Kurama, who again scooted closer to Yuusuke, who in turn was oblivious, while Koenma frowned faintly.

            Botan was watching all this and giggling. She had figured out who Ketsui was- after all, she had been the one to take him to the Afterlife, along with Zoutou.

            "Don't worry about it, Zoutou," Yuusuke said, using the half-kami's birth name without thinking. "I'll help you, and I think everyone else will help you, too."

To be continued!


End file.
